Author's Note: If you have any tips writing tips, please feel free to comment.

As always, I continue to hope that I am doing justice to the spirit of Star Wars as well the respective authors and characters from which I borrow. Again, I gratefully accept constructive criticism as a means to help me develop my skills further as a writer.

Mandalorian (Mando'a) words

Aru'ela (AH-roo-AY-la): hostile, enemy (adj)

Ba'vodu (BAH-vod-oo): uncle (plural bavodu'e) or aunt (plural bavodu'e)

Ba'vodu Gan: Uncle Gan

Di'kut (DEE-koot): idiot, useless individual, waste of space (lit. someone who forgets to put their pants on)

Ika (EE-kah): diminutive suffix written as 'ika - also added to a name as a very familiar or childhood form, e.g, Ord'ika - Little Ordo

Kama (KAH-ma): belt-spat

Ner vod (nair-vohd): "my brother/sister"; colloquially also "my friend"

Shab (SHAH-ab): Mandalorian word for excrement

--- --- --- --- ---

Chapter 47

I think about you every day and hope that you are safe. I know that the war had ended some time ago and I was told it was at the cost of the entire Jedi Order. I haven't heard from you consistently for a few weeks now, and I can't help wondering if you and your brothers survived. My heart aches without knowing what has happened to you, and I worry every moment I receive no reply. I know in one of my previous messages I had told you that we had newcomers settle on Tochin who were assigned here by Emperor Palpatine. They undermine my father's authority and find ways to twist his words against him. Papa and Janelle have shared heated debates with the one who has taken the rank of moff. The new legion of stormtroopers that they provided is not personable either. I'm growing impatient for your response, even a single line of text will...aru'ela.

Princess Arlesse Psach's final comlink transmission to RC-1147 "Jas"

Mandalore, 63 Days After Order 66

Ordo turned on the datapad so that it brought up images and text in a holo-projection above the tabletop.

"The Imperials have pretty much taken over Tochin," Ordo started. "We've got information that a young moff named Gillard Harkin is in charge now, having all but disbanded the monarchy."

"What does that mean?" Jas asked, fearing the worst for Les'ika.

"It means he did a clean sweep of the royalty," Skirata explained. "There was supposed evidence that members of the royal establishment were planning to overthrow the Imperial involvement."

Jas leaned back against the wall, feeling his face go pale and rubbed his forehead with the palm of his hand. "So, she's dead, too?"

"Not yet," Ordo offered. "There were a few royals who had kept to themselves, avoiding the politics of the Imperial invasion. We found some Imperial propaganda, holo-recordings that they released about a week ago showing the expected punishment for traitors to the Imperial cause."

Touching a key on the datapad, Ordo said nothing as an image filled the area above the table. Approximately fifteen people, a combination of male and female humans were standing in the vast courtyard at the palace on Tochin. They were placed in an execution line, surrounded by masked stormtroopers. A small stage had been set behind the prisoners where a man no older than thirty-five stood. Jas presumed that this man was the moff, and he took a few moments to silently assess him. The blonde politician was accustomed to wealth and privilege from what Jas could see. Just the high-quality material that was used for the gray suit and boots he wore spoke volumes for his familiarity with credits. Harkin also spoke with the refinement that Jas remembered hearing in Duchess Janelle's voice, and the moff's eyes could capture his audience, portraying to them a sense of concern. Jas briefly wondered just how much of this man's intentions were truly honest and how much was manipulation to be certain that the Empire expanded the way Emperor Palpatine wanted.

Studying the rest of the scene now, Jas saw how Moff Harkin had a small entourage of stormtroopers and well-dressed royals within his close company. At first, he didn't see King Vollan or Duchess Janelle in Harkin's entourage, but he saw Les'ika.

Everything at that moment suddenly stopped, and Jas absorbed the sight of her. Physically, she had changed very little, but her eyes held a lifetime of pain in them. She seemed to shrink in behind a masked stormtrooper, the only one who bore green markings on his armor. The green lines on this new armor were less pronounced now, and the kama had been removed, but Jas swallowed hard as he saw the way Les'ika grasped Tarj's arm. Studying her posture, her eyes, and her grasp, Jas came to realize that she wasn't holding him like a woman who was in love with him, but with fear as though begging him to stop what was about to happen.

Bringing his eyes back to the line of prisoners, Jas now recognized the king and duchess mixed in amongst them. He also saw three cloned men standing with the prisoners. He wasn't certain if that meant the cloned men were deserters like he and Dusty or if they were part of the supposed conspiracy to usurp the moff.

Jas stared at the images, having blocked out the elaborate speech the moff was giving to the people about the new regime of the Empire and how loyalty would be rewarded. Jas caught the moff's sweeping arm as his gesture took in the seeming loyal crowd near him while he explained how they had accepted the change of their world. However, Jas' attention was instantly back on Les'ika, seeing the sickened fear in her eyes while she stared at the line of prisoners before her.

"What have they done to her?" Jas asked looking away from the holo-image. He knew that after the moff had been done making his speech that the prisoners had been executed. He didn't need to see it happen, and he didn't want to see the effect it would have on Les'ika. He could just imagine the pain she had felt for the loss of her father. Jas had been a witness once to the special regard Les'ika and her father held for each other. The day they brought her home, Les'ika and Vollan shared an embrace that had been so emotional and real, and neither one masked the combination of relief and joy they both felt. Jas remembered how Vollan had cried with relief for his daughter's safe return, how his arms wrapped around her, afraid to let her go again. Whatever hellish nightmare Vollan had lived in that week while Les'ika was missing, it was finally over the moment he put his arms around the daughter he cherished above everything.

Ordo saw the agony in Jas' eyes while he was staring into some deep abyss, afraid to watch the events that would happen on the projector's recording. Taking the hint and sparing Jas that kind of pain to watch his girl shatter with grief, Ordo shut down the projector. He offered what words of hope he could, knowing that Jas had to be torn apart inside to see that the location he had dreamed about becoming his home for so long was no longer safe.

"As far as we know," Ordo said softly, breaking the silent tension, "she's been staying below the radar. Nothing has been broadcasted about her."

Jas nodded quietly, satisfied with that. "And, Tarj?"

"He, too, has remained secluded."

Dusty sat up straight again and brought his eyes to Jas. "Tarj will be true to his word, ner vod. You know that. You couldn't have put Les'ika in better hands unless you were there yourself. I'm certain Tarj has been staying close to Les'ika and that both of them have been keeping out of the moff's view. They're both good at hiding in plain sight."

Jas took in the room now and all the eyes that were looking upon him. "But, they can't stay there much longer. It's only a matter of time before the moff is going to be forced into a position to take action for one reason or another. I can't hide anymore either, and I have to relieve Tarj of his duty. He's been watching over her for far too long, and I vowed I'd be Les'ika's knight. I feel like I've just about abandoned her, and I need to get on Tochin to show her that I haven't given up on her."

"Son, you're asking to go directly behind Imperial lines for the sake of a girl that has probably forgotten your existence by now," Skirata interjected, trying to be the voice of reason and make this former soldier see the reality that was before him. "Do you really think someone as highly ranked as a princess would continue to put her faith into a clone soldier who's been away for eight months?"

"I can show you our messages if you need that kind of proof," Jas grumbled. "Just because she's a princess, it doesn't mean that she's not also a good woman," Jas said, shock obvious on his face that someone would dare try to convince him differently about Les'ika.

Skirata leaned forward, honest sympathy exuding from his voice. "You saw the way she clung to that soldier, the one you said was Tarj. You'd be blind not to see..."

"I forced Tarj to swear to me that he'd protect her," Jas said, interrupting the older man. "Les'ika was not holding Tarj the way you want me to believe she was. She's scared, and she knows that Tarj will keep her safe. They only have each other until I can get there and get them free."

Skirata sighed and rubbed his face with his hands. He decided to try a different tactic. "Think about it. This girl of yours is a princess, a celebrity of sorts. If we go in there and pull her off her homeworld, we're going to bring in more Imperial attention to Mandalore than we are prepared to deal with. Once she's in your possession, you won't be able to run from the Imperials forever, and eventually, they will find you. Hiding here with her can only be temporary, and she's certainly not prepared to live nomadically throughout the galaxy."

Jas clenched his fists and turned from the group in anger. For as much as he didn't want to admit it, he had regretfully seen some spark of truth in Skirata's argument. Les'ika had been sheltered her entire life, and the existence she would have with Jas would be far from the quiet safety she had always known. However, Jas knew that Les'ika was capable of being brave and strong. He was there the day that they had stopped Zech and Gunna from plotting King Vollan's destruction. As the princess held his blaster pistol aimed at the woods around her, he saw the determination in her eyes that she was not going to go down without a decent fight. Les'ika just needed someone to be her support. Jas had done that for her once before, during their days in the Tochin forest, and he was certain he could continue to be her foundation once they were together.

Turning back to the others, Jas breathed deeply. "She has the right to choose the life she wants to live, and I'm going to give her that choice. I'm in love with her, and I know she still feels the same for me. Gath died so I could be with her. I'm not going to allow Gath's sacrifice to be in vain."

"Shab, you're being a di'kut," Skirata said, raising his voice slightly, hoping he could get this poor kid to understand the risks he was about to take. "This girl can't possibly be worth putting you, Mandalore, this clan, and everything else between here and there at risk."

Feeling his body stiffen with anger, Jas was not blind to how the truth had passed over Skirata's eyes. He saw that this man would do anything to protect his clan, and especially his sons, but Jas wasn't part of his network on Kamino or his clan here on Mandalore. Jas was never anything more than a member of a squad of rejects that nobody wanted and Ba'vodu Gan had been stuck with. Running his hand through his hair, Jas took a deep breath and calmed himself down.

Jas looked to Kal Skirata and spoke softly. "No offense to you, but I'm not one of you, and I never will be. I'm the Reject Squad."

"You don't have to be a reject, not anymore," Skirata offered quietly.

"Yes, I do," Jas said with determination in his voice. He moved towards the door and looked back once to both Dusty and Ordo and then his eyes lingered with regret for a moment on the training sergeant he had known only through reputation. "You won't have to worry about me compromising your family. I'll go alone. I've broken rules my whole life, and if a clone being with a princess is another rule to break, then I know I'm doing the right thing."

--- --- --- --- ---

Quick Author's Note: Did you love that chapter!? I hope you did! Show your support for the author by simply clicking the little VOTE button to the bottom left or top right of your screen! Have a wonderful day!

Votes and Comments/Feedback most enthusiastically welcome!